Thriller Sub-Genres

Sub-Genres of Thrillers
There are many variations of sub-genres in the Thriller genre, these are a few examples:

Psychological Thrillers

Films such as 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' can be classified under the Psychological Thriller, as the plotline revolves around the unstable mental state of the protagonist, which leads to many of the events in the film. Psychological thrillers tend to be less violent than other variations, however, there are some exceptions.

Supernatural Thriller

Supernatural Thrillers focus more on extra-ordinary other-worldly encounters and how they affect the character, however tension is usually built in a similar way to some Horror movies and the supernatural 'being' is shown later on in the film. An example of a popular supernatural thriller is 'What Lies Beneath'.

Comedy Thriller

Although Comedy Thrillers are less common than other sub-genres the plot usually involves a comedic protagonist or plotline, however thriller elements are mixed in, for example, in 'Mr and Mrs Smith' the plotline is trivial and many of the situations in the film are amusing, however, there are thrilling elements such as the shootout scene in the house.

Legal Thriller

Legal Thrillers most commonly involve a courtroom and a lawyer, the protagonist is usually someone who is a key individual in the outcome of the case, such as a lawyer or judge, the film 'Witness' could be considered a Legal Thriller although it does not take place entirely in a courtroom, the film has enough legal basis for it to fit into the sub genre.

Crime Thrillers

Crime Thrillers, unlike Legal Thrillers, usually take place at the crime scene itself, the protagonist is usually the criminal, and the audience usually experience shoot outs and car chases, much like a film in the Crime genre, however, the circumstances are usually thrilling enough and supply a significant twist, so as to include it in the Sub Genre. An example of a Crime Thriller could be 'The Silence of the Lambs'.

In my opinion the psychological thriller and the supernatural thrillers are most appealing to use in our thriller opening sequence, I feel that the slight horror elements that are enveloped in these thriller sub genres add to the suspense and thrilling nature of our piece the most effectively. We would also be able to work well with these, as our idea of being buried alive could be manipulated to become very thrilling.